Newsletter Writer & Contributor at Big & Bright from The Barbed Wire. Former Digital Editor at the Texas Observer. GLAAD Media Award and National Magazine Award-nominated editor and journalist. Friend to cats.
This is my serious work account. Follow my personal account @kitoconnell
Multiple arrests in #Austin last night as protesters demand an end to #ICE.
https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/protesters-gather-in-downtown-austin-for-end-ice-terror-protest
Do you get Big & Bright 🌈⭐👏, the newsletter I write for The Barbed Wire about #LGBTQ+ life in #Texas?
The latest issue went out today, with a special New Year's message and lots of links.
If you missed out, DM me and I'll send it to you, but first you gotta subscribe: https://thebarbedwire.com/subscribe/
Did you know it's been 2 years since SB17, #Texas' anti-DEI campus law went into effect?
I'm working on a survey of #LGBTQ+ orgs affected by this law, for The Barbed Wire. If you were part of, or know of a campus org that shut down or was forced to change goals due to SB17, please get in touch.
#education #LGBTQIA #news #culture #DEI #TXlege #queer #trans #journalism
“Love is an act of resistance, and our community is so brave and resilient.”
For The Barbed Wire and the 19th, I covered the Big #Queer Wedding Party, a joyous and defiant, glitter-soaked protest and party where ten couples from around #Texas (& Oklahoma!) got married or renewed their vows, officiated by Judge Denise Hernández a queer judge from here in #Austin. https://thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/10/big-queer-wedding-party-in-texas/
#Oklahoma #photography #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #culture #journalism #activism
I heard that #Grok, the X.com #AI, is doxing people so I tried it out.
Grok is still doing this, at least for me. It is using people search websites. The address it has for me is over a decade out of date, fortunately.
You should quit Twitter but the real way to protect yourself from this is to use services like DeleteMe or manually remove yourself from these databases. https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/grok-doxxing
The Pulitzer-winning Investigative Reporting Workshop teamed up with the team at The Barbed Wire to trace the #history of anti-trans legislation such as bathroom bills, and found it traces back to the 2014 right-wing attack on #Houston's Equal Rights Ordinance. https://thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/anti-trans-laws-houston-ordinance-bathroom-bill/
#LGBTQIA #LGBTQ #trans #transgender #GulfCoast #Texas #news #law #HumanRights